Rotatable Valve Body with Spherical Seal for EV Battery Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery packs for electric vehicles face challenges in maintaining optimal temperature ranges for battery assemblies due to inefficiencies in coolant control, leading to potential performance and longevity issues.
Innovation Solution
A coolant control valve with a rotatable valve body and integrated actuator mechanism, featuring a seal formed by injection molding, allows precise control of coolant flow through fluid pipelines, ensuring effective temperature regulation by sealing and opening housing openings, and utilizing a transmission assembly with gears for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional control valve is used to regulate coolant circulation, then the battery temperature can be controlled, but the sealing performance is insufficient leading to coolant leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body sidewall incorporates a spherical sealing surface that rotates to create dynamic sealing contact with the housing opening. This curved surface design ensures continuous sealing engagement during valve operation, preventing coolant leakage while maintaining reliable temperature control
2Ease of manufacture
If the valve body structure is simplified for ease of manufacture, then production cost decreases, but the temperature control precision is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into distinct functional portions: a top portion for actuator connection, a bottom portion for support shaft engagement, and a sidewall for sealing. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the sidewall can incorporate precision spherical surfaces for temperature control while the other portions maintain simple geometries for ease of manufacture
3Volume of moving object
If the valve structure is compacted to minimize space usage, then the space occupied in battery pack decreases, but the coolant flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve utilizes rotational movement in the angular dimension to achieve flow control, allowing the valve body to open housing openings dynamically during rotation. This rotational mechanism provides effective temperature control within a compact volume without creating excessive flow resistance in the coolant path
Data Source
AI summary
A valve includes a housing having a housing cavity and at least two housing openings. A valve body is rotatably provided in the housing cavity and includes a valve body top portion, a valve body bottom portion and a valve body sidewall. The valve body sidewall has an upper valve body sidewall and a lower valve body sidewall which are connected to each other. An outer surface of the upper valve body sidewall is a partial cylindrical surface, and an outer surface of the lower valve body sidewall is shaped to have a gradually decreasing diameter in a direction from top to bottom. A seal is provided on the valve body sidewall and the seal is configured to match with the housing to enable the valve body sidewall to close at least one of the housing openings.